Jump to navigation

CONFIDENTIALLY SPEAKING

The Africa Confidential Blog

Displaying 481-490 out of 497 results.

  • 27th August 2007

SA/Nigeria: on parallel tracks?

Patrick Smith

27 August 2007 Lagos Dear Confidentialers, First of all, a belated apology for the long time, no write. Back at maison Africa Confidential, I've been working with colleagues on a couple of new projects. Firstly, we will be launching a new publication...

  • 6th July 2007

The debate is far from over

Patrick Smith

Black Star Square Accra Ghana Dear Confidentialers, This is where it all started just over 50 years ago with Ghana's declaration of independence from the British colonial authorities and founding President Kwame Nkrumah announcing his vision of a United...

  • 14th June 2007

A political soap opera

Patrick Smith

Volume 48 No 12 Paris, Thursday Dear Confidentialers, Here in the city of light, the most dramatic news about last week's G8 summit in Heiligendamm was the release on the internet of a video showing France's new President Nicolas Sarkozy holding a press...

  • 20th May 2007

Supersonic statistics and global asymmetry

Patrick Smith

20 May 2007 Shangcheng Road Pu Dong China Dear Confidentialers, It's been a week of supersonic statistics and global asymmetry here in Shanghai, which this week hosted one of the most successful annual meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to...

  • 14th May 2007

We don't do apologies

Patrick Smith

Luxembourg Gardens Paris, France Dear Confidentialers, After sending another Africa Confidential to the printers in the smallish hours of Thursday morning, I jumped on a Eurostar on a mission to see President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy spend an uncomfortable...

  • 23rd April 2007

Occidental tourist

Patrick Smith

The Occidental Grill Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC Dear Confidentialers, Viewed from the reassuringly stolid interior of the Occidental Grill ­ 'Where statesmen dine', it says on the door ­ Washington could be mistaken for a benign provincial city...

  • 5th April 2007

Zimbabwe: false dawns and ways forward

Patrick Smith

BBC Studios Millbank London SW1 Dear Confidentialers, Another day, another interview on Zimbabwe. The BBC's excellent Sheena McDonald is quizzing four of us - two journalists and two opposition activists - about what happens next. President Mugabe's re...

  • 21st March 2007

Les femmes soutiennent ATT

Patrick Smith

Place de l'Indépendance Avenue de Mali Bamako Mali Dear Confidentialers It is hard to get away from Ghana's founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, this month. Here in the centre of Bamako, a statue of the kente-clad Nkrumah bestrides the grand square like a C...

  • 6th March 2007

Ghana @ 50

Patrick Smith

Independence Square Accra Ghana Dear Africa Confidentialers I've just walked across Accra's Independence Square, which was today the focal point of Ghana's celebrations of 50 years of Independence. The Square sits between the lapping waves of the Atlant...

  • 27th February 2007

A 'new and cleaner' Françafrique

Patrick Smith

Rue de la Verrerie Paris 75004 Dear Africa Confidentialers, This week's letter strikes a Francophone note. Last week France's President Jacques Chirac welcomed more than 30 African leaders to Cannes for the France-Africa summit and the 2 March edition o...

Displaying 481-490 out of 497 results.